Six killed, polling stations firebombed as Bangladesh votes

Bangladeshi voters look for their voter numbers at a polling station in Dhaka on Jan 5, 2014. Protestors firebombed polling stations and attacked police as Bangladesh went ahead on Sunday with a violence-plagued election boycotted by the opposition. -- PHOTO: AFP

DHAKA (AFP) - Six people were killed and polling stations firebombed as Bangladesh went ahead on Sunday with a walkover election boycotted by the opposition.

With the fear of attacks limiting turnout and around 150 people killed in the build-up to voting, tens of thousands of troops were deployed across the country.

But police said more than 200 polling stations had been attacked since late Saturday into early Sunday, and officers guarding the booths were also targeted.

The ruling Awami League has accused the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of orchestrating the violence, and has kept its leader under de facto house arrest while she fumes over what is effectively a one-party contest.